Midland International Airport board members made an approval of the new parking rates before City Council makes its own final approval on Tuesday.

The new rates -- which are to go into effect this summer -- would raise the economy parking lot from $4.25 per day to $6 per day, the close-in parking lot from $6 to $8 and the original covered lot from $8 per day to $12 per day. The almost-complete covered parking lot would be $9 per day.

City Director of Airports Marv Esterly said the new rates are timed to coincide with the July grand opening of the new covered parking lot.

The new 200-space covered lot, meant for long-term parking, is further away from the entrance and west of the economy lot. The airport is considering adding a crosswalk that connects the new lot to the economy lot.

Because parking is the greatest revenue source for the airport, the proposed rates are meant to pay off the construction cost of the new lot in three to four years.

But after the new lot is paid off, parking rates will not revert to the current rates. Esterly said the revenue also will cover other cost increases.

“With the economy, our janitorial services and other services are going up,” Esterly said. “So we have to, like any other business, increase rates to meet those expenses and still have money to do the capital improvements and keep up the airport.”

Esterly said he does not anticipate another parking rate increase after the new lot is paid off.

The new parking lot addresses the overwhelming demand for space, particularly during the holiday season when about 140 vehicles are parked in an unpaved overflow lot.

The airport could begin construction of additional lots south of the new covered lot as needed within the next few years.

Airport to work on airport overlay zoning ordinance

To make the operations of the Midland spaceport a safe venture, the airport will be collaborating with the Planning and Zoning Commission to draft an ordinance that restricts the zoning around the future home of XCOR Areospace and Orbital Outfitters.

A public meeting is scheduled for July 8 to draft the ordinance that would prohibit development that fosters a high density of people such as subdivisions. Lesser concentrations of people would decrease the probability of injury or death in the event that an aircraft or spacecraft were to crash.

“The spaceport has unique safety requirements, and they’re different from what we currently have, so that means moving forward with zoning to protect the corridors,” Esterly said.

After the commission passes the ordinance, City Council will vote on it in August.